Smokeout set

Tobacco use is the most preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States, yet 45 million (about one in every five) Americans still smoke cigarettes. This is why it’s important to spread the word and get our loved ones to quit smoking.

The third Thursday in November every year is The Great American Smokeout (GASO), which inspires and encourages smokers to quit. Nov. 15 marks The American Cancer Society’s (ACS) 37th GASO. This event gives people an opportunity to make a plan to quit smoking or allows them to plan in advance and quit smoking on this day.

The Colleges Against Cancer club (CAC) at SUNY Plattsburgh works throughout the year to fight against cancer. Getting involved with GASO and making a plan to quit smoking is one easy way to fight back against this disease.

According to the American Cancer Society’s Tobacco Information and Fact Sheet, nearly 3,400 non-smoking adults die of lung cancer every year, simply from being exposed to secondhand smoke. On top of this, almost 46,000 non-smoking adults die from heart disease due to breathing in secondhand smoke.

CAC is teaming up with the Adirondack Tobacco Free Network (ATFN) to create new policies that will help communities become tobacco-free. The number of deaths that occur every year from tobacco is the reason why we are urging school officials and lawmakers to create smoke-free campuses.